Thursday, May 10, 2018

Japanese idioms

Japanese idioms

Last week we took a look at some Swedish idioms. This week, why not  a few Japanese idioms? May they bring a smile or two.

Ten men, ten colors = different strokes for different folks

Luck exists in the leftovers = it’s never too late

One’s act, one’s profit = we reap what we sow

To grab a flying foot = to take advantage of another’s mistakes

Don’t let your daughter-in-law eat your autumn eggplants = don’t let yourself be taken advantage of

Pulling water into one’s own rice paddy = looking out for #1

A frog in the well does not know the great sea = there’s more to life than you may think

Gold coins to a cat = pearls before swine

No face to show = shame

Nothing is more expensive than something free = the hardest debt to pay off is simple gratitude

Sheep head, dog meat = false advertising

If you do not enter the tiger’s cave, you will not catch its cub = nothing ventured, nothing gained

A monk for just three days = giving up at the first sign of difficulty

Even monkeys fall from trees = everyone makes mistakes



If any of these struck your fancy, please let me know in the comments section.




My thanks go out to this week’s sources: Japanese Words, Matador Network, Language Realm, Linguanaut, & Quora.

6 comments:

  1. These are a little more harsh than the Swedish ones. Especially that flying foot. And the need to keep the best stuff from a daughter-in-law. I love the monkeys that fall from trees, though.

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    1. Hey Anne -- I had the same thought. Of course, I'm limited by my sources, so the apparent harshness isn't a comment on anything at all. If I were a polyglot I could be much more thorough, eh?

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  2. "If you do not enter the tiger’s cave, you will not catch its cub = nothing ventured, nothing gained." ALSO, YOU AVOID BEING SERVED UP AS LUNCH.

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  3. Like them all! Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Hey KPK -- Thanks. I'm having a good time with idioms. If you hear any Irish idioms that tickle your fancy, let me know.

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